United Commonwealth of Darnussia and Narikaton
The United Commonwealth (UC) http://classic.particracy.net/viewnation.php?nationid=13 officially known as the United Commonwealth of Darnussia and Narikaton (Darnus: Vereint Gemeinwesen auf Darnussia und Narikaton Shirmania; Narik: Verin Gemenbest van Darnussia en Narikaton) is a sovereign state located in south-western Artania, with two islands in the Migrant's Pass. It is bordered in the north by the Holy Luthori Empire, the east by Hobrazia, the south-east by Malivia and the west by Beluzia. It has a population of 83,936,529, and an area of 913,200 km², resulting in a population density of 91.9 people / km². It has six major cities: t he capital city Merenbürg, as well as Doressa, Moete, Podrueja and the largest city Ghacrow. The UC is the result of the merging of the Darnussian Republic and the Narikatonite Empire in 3239, following the end of the Narik Wars. Darnussia was the result of the Unification War of Darnussia, and evolved into the Kingdom of Darnussia. Modern Darnussia has suffered two civil wars and been occupied by two foreign powers in the previous millennium. War between the Jewish population and the Hobaists was the main cause of violence in the 24th Century. Tension between the Islander peoples and the Mainlanders was the main cause of the 2585-2599 war. As an eventual result of the war, Darnussia became the Empire of Narikaton and Darnussia and after the Deimore Incident, Darnussia became a disorganised, anarchistic nation-state. Between 2760 - 3033, it was a conservative, federal republic, but an uprising in 3033, turned the nation into the Second Democratic Republic. The 3125 deceleration of independence by Narikaton resulted in the Narik Wars, whereby Narikaton battled for control of the mainland. Eventually, in 3239, Darnussia once again united as the UC. The UC consists of three federal regions: Darnussia, Shirmania and Narikaton. This is to give autonomy to the former Republic and Empire, while keeping it as a single unified country. There is a Union Chancellor who is the head of state, and a federal Union Parliament, however most power lies in the hands of the regional parliaments. The UC is made up of five traditional provinces: Alkavon, Kozaria, Nihaton, Clenon and Narikaton. These now play no role in modern politics, and are simply historical and symbolic. However, there is a movement within the hardline unionist community to re-invoke their political status. Etymology and symbolism The United Commonwealth was the name given to the country following unification in 3239. While the country is a federal republic, the word 'republic' was kept out of the title to avoid offending hardline Narikatonite imperialists. The official demonym for somebody from the UC is Darnussian, however this is controversial. The government mostly describes things as 'the UC ... ', for example, 'the UC government'. Again, this is due to many Narikatonite nationalists not identifying with Darnussia, and instead they describe themselves as 'Narikatonite''. Darnussia was the name given to Darntus I's empire, the Kingdom of Darnussia, named so after himself. He wanted the empire to be his personally, not Narikaton's, and so named the new country after himself. The flag, particularly since around the 24th century, has been gold, blue and white; the gold representing the Nariki peoples, the blue representing the Kozari peoples, and the white the peace and unity between them. Occasionally, an eagle, Darnussia's national animal, is included on the flag. It became the Darnussian Republic's flag, and thus was highly controversial as the choice for the UC. History :Main article: History of Darnussia Beginning of a Civilization The first people that settled in the area now known the Darnussia consisted of many different ethnic groups. The most dominant ethnic group was the Semitic peoples who ruled mainly from the Island of Narikaton. They followed an offshoot of Judaism and called themselves Narikatonites. The Narikatonite version of Judiasm combined pagan Gods with the Judiasm, making it unique in Terra. In the years of 550-564 there was a large emigration of Jews leaving Darnussia via sailboats, sailing to modern day Beiteynu. However, many also remained, where they had established communities and deep roots. after the War of Succession]]In other parts of modern Darnussia, small city states, colonies, and baronies emerged during this era; while their local power waxed and waned, most paid tribute to one or more of the Narikatonite states, due to their power; particularly over the seas on which all of Darnussia has long depended on as a food source. By 715, the War of Narikatonite Succession erupted, mainly on Narikaton Island, between several different men who wanted to be crowned King of the entire island of Narikaton; in the end Darntus the Flying was crowned King of the Darnussians. King Darntus I named his country and countrymen Darnussians after himself. Within a few years, he had unified most of modern-Day Darnussia, after engaging in wars of conquest and occasional diplomatic success during the Unification War of Darnussia. Kingdom of Darnussia (780 - 1966) :Main article: Kingdom of Darnussia Once King Darntus I was crowned King, according to legend, he rewarded every Darnussian man a cow and every Darnussian women with a Chicken. These reforms were well received by the public and King Darntus maintained high morale everywhere, according to legend. King Darntus II was widely known to be the opposite of his father, he ruled with an iron fist and his many reform policies failed. Darntus II, in a last attempt to recharge his splintering Kingdom enslaved the remaining Jewish population, who by then had become a minority even on Narikaton. Darntus II ruled for 23 years; after his death, the Kingdom of Darnussia would be ruled by different Kings of different noble families for many decades to come. The last absolute monarch of Darnussia was King Cecil I, who declared a secular state in 1966, which resulted in the fall of the monarchy. After Cecil's death, Darntus XIII (so-called although he was never actually crowned) successfully transitioned Darnussia into a Republic, the Most Serene Republic of Darnussia, and declared that it would be headed by the Secretary General. Initially, the Secretary General was a joint appointee of the Nobility and the Church, but it became a directly elected position by 2050. Early modern era (2124 - 2138) :Main articles: Lusitânia and Deltarian Protectorate of Darnussia In 2124 the government of Beiteynu declared war upon Darnussia, as they claimed that Darnussia was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. They also claimed that the Jewish population living in Darnussia were being oppressed. An eventual stalemate occurred between the Darnussian forces and the Beitenyuanse forces with neither side obtaining victory. By 2256, the Most Serene Republic was in deep trouble, due to internal corruption and a severe economic downturn. So began the Lusitânian period in Darnussian history. Dom Duarte II, the so-called Reino da Lusitânia, took control of the nation, ruling for two decades as the nominal King (although in practice, he had to defer to the legislature for most functions), claiming descent from Darntus XIII's line. In 2276, Parliament deposed the King, forcing new elections for the position of President, and forming the República da Lusitânia. ]]In 2317, the Republic of Lusitania was overthrown after a surprise invasion from Deltaria. Sebastian I was made Czar by the Deltarians, and the former legislature was deposed. The government was moved from its ancient capital of Merenbürg to the industrial port city of Red Stad, which had long been the economic engine of the nation. The ruling Deltarians were unpopular, and as a result, sparked the Revolution of 2323. This ended in failure after Red Stad was hit by a nuclear weapon when Deltarians decided they could no longer hold the city. The Deltarians "temporarily" moved their capitol to nearby Doressa. The rulers of Darnussia, Deltársky Kuklaci, finally left the country in 2338. This was the first stage of independence. Still under occupation, Darnussia became free from Imperial Parties, and in February 2351, the Occupational Government voted to leave the country. Finally, independence was gained with the 2350 Revolution The Doressa Age (2338 - 2599) :''Main articles: First Darnussian Civil War and Darnussian Democratic Republic |165px]]The Darnussian provisional government named the newly independent state the Great Democratic Republic of Darnussia (GDR), retaining the old Deltarian capital at Doressa rather than returning to Merenbürg. Very soon however, two powerblocks had developed among Darnussia's ruling elite. Two of the main sides were Hobaists, supported by the Imperial Power Party, and the other were the Jews, heavily supported by the Popular Revolutionary Front and Jews of Beiteynu. Tensions were rising and the common Darnussians were forced to pick either minority's side. The First Darnussian Civil War broke out in 2354, where Hobaists and Christians were murdered, and some Jews were murdered as revenge. It led to many Christian Darnussians siding with the Hobaists which ensured Imperial Power Party's success in the future. The war ended in IPP's victory, which was helped by Hobrazias intensions to intervene in the war. The Imperial Hobrazian Protectorate of Independent Darnussia (IHPID) was proclaimed in 2370, and lasted until 2373. This was the result of the Imperial Power Party seizing the Parliament, and instituting a state religion of Hobaism and an official recognition of Hobrazia as sovereign over Darnussia. Hobrazia however, rejected IPP claims that Darnussia was part of Hobrazia, the IHPID fell, and the new Provisional Government was seated in 2373. In 2373, the Provisional Government proclaimed the Darnussian Democratic Republic (DDR). The new government ushered in the so-called ''Darnussian Inquisition, under which Hobaists in Darnussia were severely repressed, as a matter of "state security". Imperial Age to democracy (2599 - 3033) :Main articles: Second Darnussian Civil War, United Republic and Post-Imperial Darnussia The Democratic Republic had seen the rise of a new ideology: Narikatonite Nationalism. As a result, in 2385 the province of Narikaton, along with Nihaton and Clenon declared its independence as Imperia Narikaton and went to war with Darnussia in the Second Darnussian Civil War. The war ended with Darnussian defeat and the United Republic of Narikaton and Darnussia, which collapsed in 2623 with the rise of Claude Deimore , who transformed the country into the Empire of Narikaton and Darnussia. This government too collapsed in 2638 with the Deimore Incident, in which elements of his party's paramilitary forces used nuclear weapons on civilian targets in Clenon and Nihaton after the rising of Republican factions. A period of anarchistic revolutionary rule followed until 2797, when a communist dictatorship known as Soviet Socialist Republic of Darnussia was implemented. The totalitarian regime of the Communist Party of Darnussian Republic lasted for over 20 years, when Nationalist Forces created the Federal Republic of Darnussia in 2819. It was this 215-year period from 2819 to 3033 that could be considered the most stable and peaceful in Darnussian history. With the outlawing of paramilitaries, as well as the crushing of Narik nationalism in the early days, the federal republic saw little notable events. While Kozarian nationalism played a small role in politics, it was the re-emergence of the Red Stad Communist Front as the Communist Party of Darnussia that had the greatest long-term effect on Darnussia. Their long-term aim to restore the Darnussian Democratic Republic was finally achieved when, amid riots and uprisings calling for reform, the Second Darnussian Democratic Republic was born. Modern Era (3033 - present) :Main articles: 3033 Darnussian Uprising, Darnussia-Keymon War and Narik Wars The Second DDR was born with the 3033 Darnussian Uprising. The CPD and the DNP created it as a result of rioting and fighting created by severe economic troubles in the Federal Republic, which had resulted in 30% unemployment and rampant poverty. The new state replaced the failing currency, and built on infrastructure. In 3035, the Darnussia-Keymon War broke out, which resulted in the destruction of the eastern suburbs of Merenbürg with the dropping of a nuclear weapon. Darnussia invaded and defeated Keymon in 3037 with the help of Malivia, Rutania and the Holy Luthori Empire as Darnussia placed Keymon under military occupation until 3051. In 3067, the Narik Uprising occurred, during which Narikatonite Nationalists united and tried to overthrow the government. A swift response by the government crushed the uprising before any breakout could be achieved. Narikatonite Nationalism did not go away, and from 3090, began to grow again, and by 3020, they were the largest force in Darnussian politics. At the same time, far-left and far-right politics were also growing. The election of the Nationalist government in 3123 resulted in seriously authoritarian policies, and the introduction of a law banning criticism of the government in 3125 sparked the 3125 Darnussian Uprising. During this uprising, the Narikatonites took their advantage, and declared independence. 65% of the army mutinied and joined the new Imperial government. In December 3125, Narikaton invaded the mainland, sparking the Narik Wars which have continued to this day, with the country currently split between the Republic and the Empire in a period known as The Tensions. Overview Geography :''Main article: Geography of Darnussia Physical geography Darnussia was once almost completely covered with forest, but thousands of years of civilisation had it's toll on the nature and have changed it radically. Most of the old forest were cut down to build houses and ships to sail over the Migrant's Pass. There are three major rivers in the Darnussia's mainland. The River Krähe is broadest of them if counted with the amount of water and it flows from the Great Lake of Alkavon to the Bay of Migrant. Ghacrow, the once-largest city in the Darnussia, was built at it's delta. The Red River is the strongest and flows through Northern Red Stad and flows to the Bay of Migrant. The third large river is Cerrot River that flows from Malivia to Bay of Migrant. There are also Alkavon Mountains at the very border of Alkavon and Beluzia. Other parts of Darnussia consist mainly from the two islands at Migrant's Pass, Island of Narikaton and Island of Shirmania. Both of the islands have high mountains and they are relatively far from the mainland, which once caused some cultural differences between the mainland Darnussians and the Darnussians of Jewish Descent in the islands. There are also smaller islands at the middle of the Inner Sea of Darnussia known as the Migrant Islands. They are relatively small and are considered being part of Nihaton. Political geography There are five traditional provinces in Politics The politics of modern day Darnussia is as diverse as it has been for centuries. Between 2750-2900, moderate powers rose to become the mainstream politics of the day, but the hardcore stances of old have returned, and hard-line socialism and fascism are once again the norm of Darnussian politics Conservatism is strong in Darnussian society, with old imperialist, fascist and nationalist being swept aside for new, more moderate conservative movements. However, Communism and harline socialism, be it revolutionary or simply political, is still a large movement in the democratic republic. Parliament All parties were founded in 3203 due to the rules stating paramilitary organisations could not run in elections. As a result, each of the four major paramilitaries founded a political wing to bypass the rules. All except the Republican Party are now run by that paramilitary The Head of State is the President of Darnussia. He/she is elected at the same time as parliament, and holds mostly ceramonial duties, and in reality, has little power. The Head of Government is the Chancellor of the Republic. Coalitions play an important role in Presidential Elections, and currently there are three Presidential coalitions: the leading Pro-Narikaton Coalition, Darnussian Conservative Coalition and Left-Wing Coalition. Government The cabinet is lead by the Imperial Narikaton Movement (INM). It is a majority right-wing, but formed Authoritarian coalition consisting of the INM, the Narikatonite Royalist Army and the Darnussian National Party. Narikatonite Nationalism :Main article: Narikatonite Nationalism Narik or Narikatonite nationalism is a movement that aims to see Narikaton and the islands gain independence from Darnussia. In 2600, this reached a peak, with a very violent and destructive civil war. After this, the Nariks gained control of the entire country, and placed it under an authoritarian military dictatorship. With the fall of the Nariks, the movement was banned, but has began to pick up again in the last few decades. Narik nationalists tend to be on the right to far-right on the spectrum, favouring monarchy, militarism and a strong central government. However, with the second rise of Narik nationalism, a new brand has appeard - Narik Socialism. These groups wish to gain independence peacefully, and and establish a new, Narik democratic state. The rise of new hardcore Narikatonite nationalist parties, such as the Narikatonite Royalist Army and the Imperial Narikaton Movement, has given rise to fears of a third major civil war in recent years. Other groups Paramilitary groups, such as the People's Revolutionary Army, play an important role in politics today, as does Kozarian nationalism. It is their actions that can sometimes cause major changes in legislation, or on the contray. Pressure groups are small, but can cause major laws to come through parliament with the right lobbying. Economics Despite Darnussian skepticism of collectivistic ideas, Darnussian society is remarkably egalitarian in economic matters. Partially because the elites of the upper classes were mostly the nobility, whose wealth and titles were stripped in the last revolution, and partially because of strong social expectations regarding inheritances, there are relatively few idle rich in Darnussia today; while an upper class of corporate executives and professionals exists, the division between upper and middle class is blurred, with a dominant middle class making up approximately 70% of the nation's population, depending on how it is calculated. Darnussian's economic stratification is largely race-based; minorities are twelve times more likely to be lower-class economically than ethnic Darnussi or Nariks. The average Darnussian worked longer hours (59 hours per week), and has shorter vacations (1.9 weeks per year) than his Terran peers in the first half of the last millenium. These factors contributed to making Darnussia one of Terra's most richest societies. However, productivity began to slow with the growth of left-wing politics, and Darnussia's wealth dried up completely with the beginning of the second Civil War. Industry and agriculture Darnussia has a high level of industry, especially in the Mainland. Steel and iron are Darnussia's two highest exports, with Red Stad steel being considered to be of some of the highest quality in Terra. Steel and iron works dominate the economic output of Kozaria, while coal mining and manufacturing are the major industries in Alkavon. While there are some smaller manufacturing and light industries on the Islands, services, finance and fishing remain the major source of income for Narikaton and Shirmania. Agriculture was once the highest source of income for Darnussia, as was with most early nations. However, due to restricted land area, Darnussia began to rely heavily on exports from Luthori and Hulstria. However, this resulted in a serious food scare when imports from these countries were abruptly stopped fallowing a harsh winter. Darnussia was in serious danger of a famine until the crisis was averted by a well negotiated treaty with Zardugal thanks mainly in Darnussia to the help of food and agriculture minister, Silvio Kolmonetti. Exports Military :Main article: Military of Darnussia Darnussian Armed Forces of the Republic The Darnussian armed forces are officially called the Darnussian Armed Forces of the Republic. They consist of the Army, Navy and Air Force. All four groups are volunteer forces, overall consisting of 1,200,000 men and women. There is a volunteer reserve force, consisting of part-time soldiers who would be called up in the event of a war. This force contains 3,400,000 volunteers. They last saw serious combat in the Darnussia-Keymon War in 3035, particularly the navy, who suffered heavy losses; but before then, they saw very little action at all. They were, however, used extensively alongside the Police during the Narik Uprising in 3069. Nuclear weapons are banned from the military, and are an strictly conventional army. Despite once, in the days of the Narik Empire, being considered to be one of the strongest and most reliable armies in the world, they fell into disuse after the Deimore Incident, and with the rise of the Federal Republic, were not required. Until 3035, they were considered very poorly trained, equipped and battle-hardened. Paramilitaries Paramilitaries have always played a highly important role in Darnussia throughout history. It was revolutionary groups and paramilitaries that freed Darnussia from Deltaria and Hobrazia. Paramilitaries were an accepted and legal part of politics throughout the second half of the DDR, and during the second civil war, were vital in helping communist and republican forces. Despite their illegalisation with the rise of the Federal Republic, they stayed in fashion, and they still maintain a heavy presence, albeit illegally, in Darnussia today. There are six known major paramilitary groups in Darnussia at present. Those in italics represent those labelled as a terror group by the Darnussian government: *Darnussian National Socialist Army (DNSA) *GreenShirts (GS) *''Real People's Revolutionary Army (RPRA)'' *''Narik National Army (NNA)'' *''United Front for the Liberation of Lusitania (UFLL)'' Society and Culture Darnussia has always been a somewhat conservative society at its core, slow to adopt social change, and slower to evolve. A consequence of this is that, when change does occur, it is often sudden and violent. No revolution, however, can shake the Darnussian belief in individual responsibility over collectivity, strong sense of religious faith, or its environmental skepticism, despite any and all evidence showing the effect of Man on his environment. Darnussians are fiercely militant, but also fiercely loyal to the idea of the "just war," having suffered grievously from civil war and invasion in the past. A generational program of cross-cultural unification between mainland Darnussi and Nariks from the islands is proceeding, largely through incentives, and public-private partnerships, in an effort to shatter any remaining nationalism aspirations from either side of the former civil wars. As a result, over 40% of native born adult Darnussians live in a province other than the one they were born in, and more than 20% of island-born Darnussians live on the mainland, and vice versa. Public holidays Culture Darnussian culture is extremely different between ethnic groups. Some Darnussians are Catholic whether they are apart of the Terran or Orthodox Catholic Church. Catholics in Darnussia outnumber Lutherans, but the division between Catholics leaves the Lutherans as the largest single sect. Darnussians are often against large immigration from foreign countries, as the Darnussians have been quite xenophobic because of the so many foreign powers that have conquered them. The Darnussians heavily relied on fishing to support their country and themselves. Religion When the Kingdom of Darnussia imposed Christianity as the state religion, they became one of the earliest pagan nations to adopt Christianity. In doing so, the large Catholic majorities exist because of when Christianity was imposed as the State Religion. About 75% of Darnussians identify themselves as Christians. Thus Christianity acts as a strong influence on people’s daily lives. Going further back into history, Darnussia was founded by pagans, Jews, and pagans who held some Jewish ideals. Thus there is a large Jewish minority living in Darnussia, most are ancestors of those who lived in the ancient era others are refugees from Beiteynu. Many of the Darnussian Jews follow Messianic Judaism, a view that holds Jesus as the Messiah. Other Jews in Darnussia do not consider Messianic Jews real Jews, instead follow Orthodox Judaism. Food Darnussian food is very old, the cuisine dates back to the 15th century. The Darnussians are famous for their unique dishes; they frequently use many recipes involving fish and salt. Sport :See also: Football in Darnussia Like in any country, sports have always been popular in Darnussia. Football (soccer) is the national sport and it is most popular. The Darnussian Football League is highly followed. Some of the most popular sports include Football (Gridiron), Hockey, and Basketball. Darnussia also has a national football team. They will be entering in the next world cup. Demographics Language :Main Article: Darnussian Language *52% Narik *41% Darnus *5% Lusitânian *2% Other Note: Public education forces every student to study both, Darnus and Narik, so everyone understands at least some level of their 2nd Darnussian language. Increasingly, the two languages are merging, particularly in Nihaton and Kozaria. Ethnicity Note: Exact figures are hard to come by. These are the most recent estimates. *74% Darnussian 40% Nariki 34% Kozari *7% Darnussian Jews *4% Pontesian *6% Lusitânian *3% Deltarian *6% Other Religion *35% Orthodox Catholicism *34% Lutheran Protestantism *9% No religion *8% Terran Catholicism *7% Judaism *3% Hobaism *2% Islam *2% Other